Here we are at midweek of the third week of April–already! How’s your weather in your part of the world? In Maine USA, we are experiencing wacky weather where our seasons still seem confused: heavy rain and flood watches earlier in the week, frost on the car windows this morning, and now sunshine and 54 degrees, heading into the 60s!

Have you ever struggled with condemnation vs. conviction? Do you know the difference?

Let’s look at today’s devotional shares. Remember, you can read Psalms and Proverbs to accompany each day on my page, Daily Scripture Readings. AND check out my new page, where you can have an opportunity to put compassion into action–whether through praying, sharing the linked causes, and/or donating. I have recently added a third situation that is particularly heartbreaking!

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-1-

“It is normal to feel guilty when you are initially convicted of sin; but to keep feeling guilty after you have repented is not healthy, nor is it God’s will.

Conviction is entirely different from condemnation. Condemnation presses you down and puts you under a burden of guilt, but conviction is meant to lift you out of something, to help you move up higher in God’s plan for your life.

If you are suffering under a burden of condemnation, lay your guilt before the throne of God and receive His forgiveness and mercy.”

–Joyce Meyer in “Ending Your Day Right”

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-2-

“I used to wake up feeling guilty and condemned. I was full of judgment and criticism for every little mistake I made. But that outlook creates pressure inside of us that is apt to explode in the face of the first person who comes around.

If you struggle this way, begin your day by reading the Word. Knowledge of God’s mercy and forgiveness is vital in learning to love yourself so that you can love others. Live today to its fullest potential.”

–Joyce Meyer in “Starting Your Day Right”

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-1- This is such an important distinction: condemnation weighs us down, while conviction lifts us up! It might not feel like that at first, but if we are honest with ourselves, we typically already have an awareness of something we are doing wrong. Acknowledging it and dealing with it helps us to grow and move on, whereas feeling guilty and condemned over it keeps us stuck on that “treadmill of guilt.”

-2- I’m so grateful for God’s mercy and forgiveness! Again, guilt and condemnation do nothing to help us grow, whereas recognizing conviction and receiving forgiveness allows us to grow and develop our potential.

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So what are YOUR thoughts?

Had you ever thought about the difference between condemnation and conviction? Do you find it difficult to get out from under that weight of guilt or off that treadmill of guilt?

Did you ever think about the connection between condemnation and its affect on being able to fulfill your potential?

This is a great post! Thank you for mapping out the difference between condemnation and conviction. Stopping by from women with intention Wednesdays.Stacey Thureen recently posted..A Trip of a Lifetime (Link-up)

I definitely learned to discern the difference between condemnation and conviction pretty early in my wall with Christ. I felt there were others trying to bound me down with condemnation and God showed me pretty early that He forgave me and now there was none. Thanks for the wisdom in this post! Stopped by from the women with intention link up.Maria Hass recently posted..Faith, Fitness, and Fun Learning

Thank you Klee – this was beautiful! and I had not really thought of the important distinction that you’ve shared about condemnation weighing us down- was aware of that – while conviction lifts us up, had put it that way – I do like this 🙂